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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcErO W. B. PURDY, OF HUNTINGDON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN UNIVERSAL TIME-PIECES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,496, dated February 2l, 1865.

To all frrhom it may concern Be it known that LW. B. PURDY, of Huntingdon, in the county ot" Huntingdon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Universal Time-Piece; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable Vthose skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specitication, in which- Figure l is a face view ot' this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section or" the hands.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate like parts.

This invention consists in twhe application of two or more sets of hands working 011 tho same center,in combination with a corresponding number of concentric dials, in such amanner that by the several sets of hands working on several dials the time ot two or more places of different longitude can be indicated simultaneously, and each setof hands can be readily set to indicate the time of any place on the globe independent of the remaining set or sets.

A represents the face of a clock, which has marked on its surface two or more distinct dials, a b c, &c. These dials are intended to indicate simultaneously the time of places of ditt'erent longitude, and each dial may be marked with its own set of figures, or one set ot' tigures on the ordinary or main dial may be made to serve simultaneously for all the dials. Each or" the dials is provided with its own set of hands a* a'* bt b* cit, and so forth, the hands at being the minute-hands, and the hands (dit b* dit, the corresponding hourhands. The hands at' a* work on the dial a, the hands bi* on the dial b, the hands c"t on the dial c, and so on, and all the hands turn on the common center g, and they are so connected to thecentral arbor that each set ot' hands can be adjusted to the desired time independent ofthe other hands. In the drawings the hands at* 60"* are set for lVashington time, the hands bit for the corresponding time of London, the hands cffor that of St. Louis, and so forth, as indicated by the names marked on the several dia-ls, and it will be noticed that when it is half-past three in Tashington the correct time in London is twenty-two minutes to nine, that of St. Louis twtntytwo minutes after two, that of San Francisco twenty-eight minutes after twelve, and so on.

It is obvious that the number of hands and dials can be increased to any desired extent, and if the clock or time-piece is used for in struction in schools, or only for the sake ot' amusement, it is desirable to have as many dials as. can be conveniently applied. In practice, however, it' thetime piece is to be used on railroad-stations to indicate the local time of the station and the correct time ot' the two -termini ofthe road, or if a conductor on a railroad-train desires to have marked 011 his watch the local times of the termini of his route, or ofany otherintermediate places thereon, the number of dials may be reduced to two or three. I

The names of the different places may be marked on the dials in such a manner that they can be readily era-sed and changed if the timepiece is to be used in ditterent parts ot' the world. The additional dials and hands increase the cost ot' the time-piece but very slightly, and the value ot' the time-piece is thereby considerably increased.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters PatentrIlhe 'application ot' two or more sets otl hands, ai ct and so forth, secured to a common center, g, and operating in combina tion with two or more concentric dia-ls, a b, &c., substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

V. I3. PURDY.

Witnesses:

HENRY WILSON, T. S. Jackson. 

